a midmorning office contemplation
by Lady Shaye
Summary: Cho reads Shakespeare and observes. As usual. / Or, I was bored and wrote a 400 word drabble on this brilliant, brilliant man.


Disclaimer: Bruno Heller is amazing and gives me such feels, I have no words. No. I'm just not that awesome, but I'm probably that infuriating at times.

A/N: So, this is my special Halloween present. I haven't written Mentalist fic in a while, and I've DEFINITELY grown since then, I should think, so I thought I'd give all the Cho fans a little gift. I've never written Cho before and have honestly never paid quite that much attention to him, although there's no doubt in my mind that Tim Kang is extremely talented, so I hope that I did this well enough. It's a 400 word drabble on the dot about Cho, contemplating in the office about Shakespeare and ongoing events. Sigh. No idea when this is set, but probably before the last two seasons. Forget them, psshh. Not like they matter. Yeah, so, got inspired by the little mini marathon that was playing tonight. Watched every second of it, completely stole the remote from my family. It was rather nice.

* * *

The office is quieter than usual, but he still hears every sound. The entire building buzzes with tension, energy, and a mix of depressing emotions: anger, sadness, lust for revenge, other motivations for murder, and the bittersweet clarity of those who loved the departed.

He's not often one to ponder such a thing, but he read Shakespeare just yesterday and he's feeling a bit more sentimental than usual. But, as always, he never lets on.

Van Pelt clacks at her keyboard while Rigsby tries to attempt slyness and flirt with her oh-so-casually. (Please. Jane and Lisbon have mastered it much better.) Soon enough, Van Pelt will tire of his unwillingness to make a move and get up for coffee. Rigsby will move on in order to annoy him instead.

Meanwhile, Lisbon and Jane are arguing in her office over the latest stupid stunt he pulled, which nearly got all of them killed, of course. Her voice rises high through the walls, though nobody ever tells her that they can hear her when she yells at him, but his soothing voice is slightly audible, though the words are indistinguishable, and almost immediately her tone calms down and lowers itself back to normal, leaving her relaxed once more in Jane's presence.

Cho smiles to himself, knowing what nobody in this stupid office will admit, and that's attraction. He pulls out _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, knowing that nobody in the office will dare tease him about it (except perhaps Jane, but who gives a damn, Jane teases everybody) and his choice of book, and begins it from where he left off last night at page nine just after finishing _Julius Caesar_.

_"The course of true love never did run smooth…"_

Lisbon marches out of her office with a huff. "Got a case," she calls over her shoulder at the rest of the team as she strides past them angrily. Great, Jane got her riled up all over again.

Jane follows. "Oh, c'mon," Cho can hear him playfully whining. "You can't stay mad at me forever. I'll buy you another pony if that's what it takes."

Sighing, Cho places his travel edition book inside his pocket and follows them out to the cars. He's the only one in this office with a brain. Everyone thinks that Jane's the mentalist, but _he_ knows what's really going on with _everyone_.

_Oh, what fools these mortals be._

* * *

A/N: Let's just admit it; Jane may be the mentalist, but Cho is probably at least the second-smartest person on there. I love Lisbon so much, and I like Van Pelt the way you like that mildly annoying but well-meaning coworker, and I just saw Rigsby at his sweetest cutest moment (drugged in what I believe was 'The Thin Red Line,' though I'm probably wrong) so I feel good towards him now, but Cho, Cho is brilliant. A great strategist, an adorable smile when it actually rarely shows, lovely at interrogation, follows rules but bends them whenever possible to help Jane with the best of intentions, and sexy in that strong-but-silent-type way. Not to mention, in my mind he now totally reads Shakespeare and that's hot, okay.

Just sayin'.

Not really looking for much of a response, just no flames please. It's Halloween, which is like my favorite holiday. :)

Might be posting something Daroline later as a Halloween gift to my lovely loyal fans. :) Love you guys, and thanks to anyone who read this all the way through!


End file.
